


Tell me about the dream where we pull the bodies out of the lake and dress them in warm clothes again.

by Onecrazyfangirl



Category: Campaign (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Canon Non-Binary Character, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Other, Sharing a Bed, Tenderness, mentions of canon typical character death, more hurt because travis wont let himself have nice things, the inherent softness of forehead kisses, travis' transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27896404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onecrazyfangirl/pseuds/Onecrazyfangirl
Summary: The first time Travis runs into Gable after he loses Margaret; Its winter and he can't bear to be alone.
Relationships: Gable/Travis Matagot, mentions of past travis/margaret
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Tell me about the dream where we pull the bodies out of the lake and dress them in warm clothes again.

**Author's Note:**

> this is the fastest i have managed to write fic for a fandom and I fully blame it on the amount of feelings I have for these idiots. Also the discord. 
> 
> I wrote this in a haze at 1 am and i made myself cry. so enjoy <3
> 
> Thanks to DrowningInStarlight for proof reading (and check out their stuff its brilliant)

Travis hadn’t fallen asleep in someone's arms since Margaret, but the previous evening he had ran into Gable for the first time since the river had taken her. Travis wasn’t even sure how long any of it had been; had he seen Gable a decade ago? Two? Had he lost Margaret a year ago? Or just last week? 

Gable had very obviously been able to tell he was in a bad way, which meant he must have truly looked terrible, if Gable of all people had noticed. 

They had done their typical song and dance. They bickered in a bar, Gable said they have a room he can stay in if he wants, he said he would rather throw himself into the sea, he goes to Gable’s room anyway and they know well enough not to comment on it. 

They hadn’t talked much back at the room, just drinking and begrudgingly enjoying each other's company. Occasionally Gable would open their mouth as if to speak and then they’d just pass Travis the bottle again.

By the time night was about to fall Travis had wordlessly left the room. Gable had again almost started to speak but by the time they had managed “Travis…” he was already out the door, somewhere where he could suffer alone. 

It was when he was slipping into an unused room in the inn he had realised it was winter and cursed under his breath. 

He disliked the bunny the most out of all of them, the fear of being hunted, having nothing to defend himself. It was when he most felt the pull to run back into the forest, back to her and her “protection”.

After several agonizing minutes he was a bunny, and not strong enough to fight the pull of the forest. Not tonight. Not alone. 

He scratched rather pathetically at the door to Gable’s room and entered. 

Gable liked the rabbit form, something like a smile spread on their face as he hopped into the room.

“Don’t you dare pick me up,” Travis said viciously. Even if what he meant was  _ please do.  _

Gable might have known, or they might have just wanted to annoy him, because they did, in fact, pick him up anyway, marvelling as always over the softness of his fur and laughing at his not very convincing exasperated look on a bunny’s face.

They were a little drunker than normal, and one thing led to another and Gable had fallen fast asleep, with Travis still in their arms.

Travis had argued with himself that Gable was strong, and he couldn’t possibly escape this, and so he might as well resign himself to his fate and get some sleep. Somewhere he knew he could very easily wriggle out. 

He’d fallen asleep in the span of minutes.

Now, however, he’s awake with the first rays of sunlight and his bones begging to snap.

He panics, not knowing what to do, as he’s still held tightly in Gable’s grasp. It isn’t long before his hind legs snap properly though and he isn’t able to contain a small yelp of pain.

Gable seems to be awake immediately and Travis isn’t sure what he was expecting really, but it certainly isn’t for Gable to pull away gently so as to not hurt him further, and to start blabbering soothing words.

The transformations always seem to hurt more after that period of time he had spent in the forest and no one had ever tried to soothe it, no one aside from Margaret. But even she had been at a loss of what to do, she couldn’t bear the pain of him having to go through it every day.

It was everything too much all at once, Gable’s gentle “I got you, Travis, it will be over soon.” The memory of the look of misery Margaret had whenever the sun rose and sank, the agonizing pain shooting through his body like someone had stabbed him everywhere at once.

The pain receded after what felt like an age and then he lay there, panting, eyes tearing up and whimpering miserably.

Gable doesn’t say anything, just very tentatively gathers him up in their arms, slow enough that Travis could pull away and run if he wanted to. 

Everything in Travis does want to pull away, to run out, to shout at Gable because it felt like they were dangerously close to the edge of something. Some as of yet unbroken rule. But he was too tired, too tired to deny himself anything. So instead he let it happen, after all, it would just be for a bit, just until he could get his breath back under control, just until he could shake off the feeling of profound agony about him.

He half-hoped Gable would make fun of him, or get mad. That would sort him out, he knew how to bite back, he had memorized his lines by now. It would hurt, but at least it would be familiar, at least it would be his, theirs.

Instead Gable shifts incredibly delicately and then ever so softly places a kiss on the top of his forehead.

That’s what does it, it’s the last straw and Travis chokes out a sob.

He clings to Gable, his hands shaking as he grabs onto the back of their shirt, he burrows his face into their chest and cries, unable to contain it any longer.

Gable doesn’t say anything, just holds him, just tenderly brushes his hair out of his face. He can’t do anything but weep, as every single bit of emotion he had been avoiding overwhelms him all at once.

He is not sure how much time passes, but eventually the emotion is burned out of him and the only thing that’s left is his unsteady breaths.

One of Gable's hands is in his hair, the other is on his cheek, cradling it and carefully wiping away the remnants of tears. The vulnerability of it all makes his chest ache yet he can’t bear to pull away.

Travis looks up to see them. They lock eyes and Gable doesn't bother with anything as inane as  _ are you alright  _ or  _ do you want to talk about it? _

They do look desperate, though, their eyes full of questions and millions of unspoken things.

Travis doesn’t know what to do about it either, so he simply pushes himself up and kisses them. It’s not the first time they’ve kissed, but it is the first time it feels like he’s being peeled open, it feels raw. The genuineness is new, the tears in both of their eyes are new.

Gable’s hands automatically cradle Travis’ face and he leans into the touch, deepening the kiss. 

They both exhale shakily into each other's mouths, pulling away like everything is made out of glass. 

Both are still holding each other, Gable turns their face a little to press a kiss into his palm. Travis can't help himself, just because of that, he kisses them again.

They look at each other for quite a while after, in the still half dark room, in the bed that is actually too small for two people.

Gable looks like they are going to say something a few times, whatever they find in Travis’ gaze stops them everytime.

Eventually, wordlessly, they both settle for cuddling without looking at each other. If it is possible to embrace someone without acknowledging their existence, that’s what they try to do. 

It’s been a long life for both of them, and it doesn’t take long for them to both fall asleep again.

The second time Travis wakes up Gable is still asleep, on their back, with only one hand slung over Travis.

Gable looks peaceful like this, their hair sprawled everywhere, their scars faintly visible through the fabric of their shirt. They’re even snoring a bit.

Travis knows then that he should not have let himself indulge. It hurts to see Gable like this, probably more than seeing Gable upset.

He knows he can't stay there, so he carefully frees himself, stands up and turns to leave. He feels about twelve different emotions swell up at once as he hears Gable’s still asleep mumbling.

“Travis?” 

In a last moment of weakness, he turns around, stooping down next to the bed and pressing a kiss into their hair. That seems to content them and they let out a breath and go back to their peaceful slumber.

He knows he can’t do this again because of the way the pain in his chest as he closes the door is almost unbearable. 

He walks away aimlessly. Days later he will find himself a rabbit, yet again being chased by some kind of bird at the edge of a forest surrounded by a river. And he will hear the echoing laughter of the Forest Queen. No doubt she’ll save him eventually, but there is no reason she can’t enjoy the show first. 


End file.
